title: Risk of breast cancer in men with liver cirrhosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver cirrhosis is associated with increased levels of estrogens, which may be causally related to breast cancer. Because background estrogen levels are lower in men than in women, an estrogen-mediated link between liver cirrhosis and breast cancer would be easier to detect in men.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men hospitalized with liver cirrhosis in Denmark from January 1, 1977, to December 31, 1989, were followed up, through record linkage, until the end of December 1993 for the possible occurrence of breast cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 11,642 men with liver cirrhosis were identified and were followed for a mean period of 4.3 yr, for a total of 49,687 person-years. Three cases of male breast cancer were observed whereas 0.75 was expected, for a standardized incidence ratio of 4.0 (95% confidence interval, 0.8-11.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cirrhosis, possibly via high levels of endogenous estrogens, increases the risk of breast cancer in men.
authors.affiliation: The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Friis
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Thulstrup
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mellemkjaer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trichopoulos
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vilstrup
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors